Father-of-two Thomas Gilmartin, 45, was beaten to death as he walked away from a kebab shop in Dundee with his wife Aileen.

Mr Gilmartin's head was repeatedly smashed into shutters at the front of a shop as he was beaten. He died at the scene of the attack.

Today, the victim's sister, Sheila Au, from Maghull, told of her family's heartbreak. She said her brother - known affectionately as Noddy - had never been in a fight in his life.

She said: "He was murdered in the street and we do not know why.

"He was known everywhere, all across Liverpool and even in Dundee as a guy who loved a laugh and a joke. He loved a party.

"Even the barman in the pub in Dundee was crying his eyes out when he found out what had happened."

Mr Gilmartin, from Netherley, has lived in Dundee periodically for a number of years because of his marriage to Scottish Aileen. He has friends and contacts across Liverpool, where he based himself most of the time.

The motive for the murder, which happened last Tuesday, is unclear.

Mr Gilmartin was assaulted outside the kebab shop and knocked to the ground. Along with his wife Aileen, he then walked across the road to escape - but his attackers returned.

Aileen sprinted away to get help but Mr Gilmartin was not able to run away because of his severe asthma.

By the time his wife returned, Mr Gilmartin was dead.

Sheila, 42, said: "The whole family is absolutely gutted. We are still numb, still expecting our Noddy to come home."

The family, including the victim's 21-year-old daughter Vivien and son Kevin, 19, are waiting for his body to be released so a funeral can be held.

One man has been arrested in connection with the murder and police in Dundee have sent a report to the procurator fiscal, the Scottish version of the Crown Prosecution Service.